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|    The ARRL Letter for January 9, 2014    |
|    10 Jan 14 12:21:16    |
      If you are having trouble reading this message, you can see the original at:       http://www.arrl.org/arrlletter/?issue=2014-01-09              The ARRL Letter              January 9, 2014       Editor: Rick Lindquist, WW1ME               * Your League: ARRL Reply Comments Cite "Fundamental Misunderstanding" of        "Symbol Rate" Petition        * Your League: ARRL-Sponsored Medium-Frequency Experiment Continues as        Hams Hope for New Band        * Your League: National Contest Journal (NCJ) Debuts New Website!        * International: IARU Showcases Amateur Radio at ITU Telecom World 2013        * International: Yasme Foundation Announces Supporting Grants        * Radiosport: New ARRL Single-Operator Unlimited Contest Category Now in        Effect        * Ham Radio Business: Tokyo Hy-Power Files for Bankruptcy        * Ham Radio Business: CQ to Realign Publications, Launch Digital        Supplement        * Ham Radio Business: InnovAntennas Acquires Force 12        * DX: ARRL DXCC Desk Approves ZD9KX Operations        * Shortwave Listening: Voice of Russia to Continue Shortwave Broadcasting        in 2014        * Propagation: Solar Flux Record High Could Herald Better Conditions        * ARRL Centennial: W100AW Hits the Airwaves!        * ARRL Centennial: A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL        * Milestones: Founder and President Emeritus of 4U1UN, Max de Henseler,        HB9RS, SK        * Milestones: QST Author, CW Key Maker Jerry Pittenger, K8RA, SK        * Milestones: Austin Amateur Radio Supply Owner Johnny Paul, WA5BGO, SK        * Solar Update        * Getting It Right!        * Just Ahead in Radiosport        * Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events              Your League: ARRL Reply Comments Cite "Fundamental Misunderstanding" of       "Symbol Rate" Petition              In reply comments filed on its "symbol rate" Petition for Rule Making       (RM-11708), the ARRL said comments opposed to its initiative reflect a       "fundamental misunderstanding" of the petition's intent. The League's petition       now tops the FCC's list of "Most Active Proceedings." More than 800 comments       were filed as of January 7, some of them posted after the December 23 cut-off       date and most favoring the ARRL's proposal. The ARRL earlier filed comments       with the FCC on its own Petition (plus Erratum). RM-11708 proposes to drop the       symbol rate limit in 97.307(f) of the FCC Amateur Service rules, substituting       a maximum occupied bandwidth of 2.8 kHz for HF data emissions. The ARRL said       those opposing the Petition do not, in general, challenge the removal of the       symbol rate limit for data emissions in band segments where RTTY and data       emissions are now permitted.              "Rather, they tend to view the proposal to establish a maximum occupied       bandwidth of 2.8 kHz for data emissions in the medium-frequency (MF) and       high-frequency (HF) bands where data emissions are permitted now as an       enabling provision," the ARRL said. Instead, the League said, its Petition is       intended to impose "a limitation on the maximum bandwidth of data emissions       where none exists now." Given state-of-the-art data technologies, the League       said, there is no necessary correlation between the symbol rate and the       bandwidth of a data emission. The current symbol rate "acts only as a limit on       the efficiency of data emissions in the HF bands as a practical matter, and as       an artificial and arbitrary filter on the types of emissions that can be       utilized by radio amateurs."              The ARRL said its suggested 2.8 kHz maximum bandwidth reflects a balanced       approach that will permit all currently used data emissions, encourage       experimentation with data emissions that the current symbol rate restriction       prohibits, and preclude the use of wider-bandwidth data emissions that could       usurp the limited RTTY/data subbands. Petition opponents, the ARRL went on to       say, "offer no evidence" that the rule changes it proposes will lead to a       situation where data transmissions overwhelm the subband and preclude narrow       bandwidth emission communications.              "The Commission has properly chastised the Amateur Service for resisting       deregulatory proposals that are designed to enable amateur experimenters to       refine and adapt technologies," the League said in its reply comments. "ARRL       is of the view that outdated Commission regulations that needlessly preclude       experimentation with data technologies should not be preserved. Outdated       regulations are not a viable alternative to cooperative sharing arrangements       in the HF bands through voluntary band plans."              Some of those opposing its petition, the ARRL went on to say, expressed the       belief that the proposed rule change would impose wider-bandwidth data       emissions in spectrum where narrow-bandwidth modes such as CW and PSK31 now       operate, to the detriment of the narrow-bandwidth modes. Other opponents       contended that the Petition will benefit a few operators at the expense of the       many now operating narrowband data, RTTY, and CW on the HF bands.              "It is illogical to argue on the one hand that the Petition is intended to       benefit 'the few' who are data emission experimenters and users, and on the       other hand to predict that the relief requested in the Petition would create a       flood of 'wide-bandwidth' data emissions, swamping the band segments used for       CW, RTTY, and narrow-bandwidth data emissions," the League pointed out. "If       the concern is that the rule changes will encourage more radio amateurs to       experiment with data emissions, that would be a positive outcome." The ARRL       further asserted that the fear of interference from automatically controlled       stations "is not a valid one."              Its Petition, the ARRL concluded, "is not a referendum on the value of MF or       HF data emissions or data experimentation in those bands," but intended to       encourage experimentation now restricted artificially by outdated rules. "It       is instead a proposal to delete outdated limitations on Amateur Radio       experimentation, which Commission policy supports, and which the basis and       purpose of the Amateur Radio Service necessitates."              Your League: ARRL-Sponsored Medium-Frequency Experiment Continues as Hams Hope       for New Band              The ARRL-sponsored medium-frequency experiment, operating as WD2XSH, continues       apace in an effort to demonstrate the viability of 472 to 479 kHz as a       secondary Amateur Radio allocation. At the same time, the FCC has been silent       regarding the ARRL's November 2012 Petition for Rule Making that asked the       Commission to make this segment of the spectrum available to radio amateurs in       the US. Delegates to the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference approved a 7       kHz-wide secondary allocation between 472 and 479 kHz for the Amateur Radio       Service, with a power limit of 5 W EIRP (or 1 W EIRP, depending on location).       The FCC has indicated that it will address the issue within the context of its       Notice of Proposed Rule Making in ET Docket No 12-338, to formally reflect the       Final Acts of WRC 2007 in its rules. In his quarterly WD2XSH update,       Experiment Coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR, reported that 514 contacts -- 10 in       the last quarter -- have been logged among those taking part in the experiment       across the US.              "As usual, activity increased as conditions improved during the fall. Much of       the recent activity has involved WSPR-15," Raab reported. "Reception over       significant distances (eg, Europe, Alaska) has been reported. Much of the       activity is being undertaken by a few new experimental licensees." Raab noted       that WD2XSH participant Brian Justin, WA1ZMS, transmitted Fessenden       commemorative broadcasts on AM via his own experimental license, WG2XFQ,       during the December holidays.              In the US, the 472-479 kHz band is part of the larger 435-495 kHz segment that       is allocated on a primary basis to the Maritime Mobile Service (federal and       non-federal users), and on a secondary basis for federal government       aeronautical radionavigation. The ARRL stated in its Petition that it is       unaware of any domestic assignments that might conflict with the allocation of       472 to 479 kHz to the Amateur Radio Service, and there is almost no power line       carrier (PLC) operation in this band segment. The FCC in 2003 cited the       potential for interference to utility-operated PLC systems when it turned down       an ARRL petition seeking an LF "sliver band" at 135.7 to 137.8 kHz.              The WD2XSH experiment involves more than three dozen stations and includes all       geographic areas of the US, including Alaska and Hawaii. Most of the stations       are in the eastern half of the US. Raab has reported no interference issues       during the WD2XSH experiment, begun in 2006 and initially using spectrum in       the vicinity of 500 kHz.              Your League: National Contest Journal (NCJ) Debuts New Website!              National Contest Journal (NCJ), the ARRL publication devoted to Amateur Radio       contesting, has a fresh, new presence on the web and a new URL --       http://ncjweb.com.              "The new site was designed with simplicity and ease of use in mind," said NCJ       Editor Kirk Pickering, K4RO. "The site contains selected feature articles as       well as a group of tools for setting up teams and submitting logs for       NCJ-sponsored contests. It also offers an archive of scores for all NCJ going       back to 2001. The site still has room to accommodate new features in the       future, so stay tuned." Visitors who use the old URL will be redirected to the       new site.              Pickering said the new NCJ website was a collaborative effort, and he       expressed his appreciation to Bruce Horn, WA7BNM, "for his tireless support of       the NCJ website from its inception" as well as to George Fremin, K5TR, who has       served as the systems administrator. Pickering also thanked his partner Susie       Coleman, who helped design the look and feel.              "We hope that you will find the new site useful. Thanks to all who have helped       to make this happen," said Pickering, who invited comments on the new site and       design.              Published every other month, NCJ features general-interest and technical       articles and columns by top contesters, operator profiles, editorial comments,       and correspondence from readers, as well as scores for the North American QSO       Party and North American Sprint, which NCJ sponsors.              International: IARU Showcases Amateur Radio at ITU Telecom World 2013              The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) got some visibility for Amateur       Radio at ITU Telecom World 2013, sponsored by the International        elecommunication Union. The event was held November 19-22 in Bangkok,       Thailand. The IARU and IARU Region 3 leaders arranged the display in       cooperation with the ITU. A large, flat-screen TV in the booth displayed       videos of Amateur Radio activities. Special event station HS2013ITU was on the       air from the site. IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, spoke at one of the       forums. A highlight of the show for the IARU contingent was a visit by ITU       Secretary General Dr Hamadoun Toure, HB9EHT. He took a turn at the operating       position of HS2013ITU while there.              "We had a number of high-profile visitors to the booth, including ministers of       communications and government regulators from various countries," said IARU       Region 3 Director Peter Lake, ZL2AZ, and Region 3 Chairman Gopal Madhavan,       VU2GMN, in a report. "They were keen to discuss the situation in their       respective countries and the association with IARU and to learn about Amateur       Radio and its capabilities. Telecom World 2013 gave the IARU a unique       opportunity to showcase Amateur Radio at the highest level."              ITU Telecom World 2013 also offered an opportunity for the IARU        epresentatives to influence leaders who can favorably impact radio regulations       and national attitudes toward Amateur Radio. "The presence of IARU, and its       effort to showcase Amateur Radio and its capabilities, was well appreciated by       all who visited the booth, and the effort was well worthwhile," said the       IARU's report. "We also laid a foundation under the new ITU Telecom World       structure to gain some similar space at the next event in 2014 in Qatar."              International: Yasme Foundation Announces Supporting Grants              To further the development of Amateur Radio around the world, The Yasme       Foundation has announced the recipients of four supporting grants:               * WRTC-2014, to help defray the expenses of the World Radiosport Team        Championship in New England this July.        * The Reverse Beacon Network (RBN), to purchase a receiver and necessary        accessories to upgrade the RBN node in Bangalore, India.        * CWOps CW Academy, to help defray the expenses of providing online CW        training courses.        * The ARRL Second Century Fund, to support the goal of the ARRL Second        Century Campaign of opening a path to passionate involvement in Amateur        Radio by new generations, providing opportunities for educational        enrichment, community service, and personal achievement through the        exploration and use of radio communication.              The Yasme Foundation is a not-for-profit corporation organized to conduct       scientific and educational projects related to Amateur Radio, including DXing       and the introduction and promotion of Amateur Radio in developing countries.       The Foundation supports individuals and organizations providing or creating       useful services for the Amateur Radio community, regardless of originality or       novelty, to further the development of Amateur Radio around the world.              Radiosport: New ARRL Single-Operator Unlimited Contest Category Now in Effect              Responding to many requests, the ARRL Programs and Services Committee in 2013       accepted the Contest Advisory Committee (CAC) recommendation to add the       Single-Operator Unlimited category to the ARRL 10 Meter Contest, ARRL 160       Meter Contest, RTTY Roundup, and the IARU HF Championship. "This particular       issue has been a long time coming," said CAC Chairman Al Dewey, K0AD.              The new category permits the use of spotting information within the       Single-Operator class. In the past, using spotting information placed a       station in the Multioperator category. Per the revised rules, "Single-Operator       Unlimited: The use of spotting assistance or automated, multi-channel decoders       is permitted."              Ham Radio Business: Tokyo Hy-Power Files for Bankruptcy              Tokyo Hy-Power, a manufacturer of Amateur Radio amplifiers, antenna tuners,       and other equipment, is in bankruptcy, and its plant, in Saitama Prefecture       near Tokyo, has been shuttered. Telephones at the company no longer are being       answered, and its Japanese website has been taken down, although the company's       US website remains working. Company CEO/President Nobuki Wakabayashi, JA1DJW,       founded Tokyo Hy-Power Labs in 1975. He blamed "the recent depression in the       industrial RF power products area [which] has led to the very difficult       financial position."              Tokyo Hy-Power's early products were HF antenna couplers, although within a       couple of years it began manufacturing amplifiers for the Amateur Radio       market, including solid-state mobile amplifiers. Among its early products was       the HL-4000 linear amplifier, which the company claimed was "the first real HF       band high-power linear of its kind in Japan." It has been manufacturing RF       products for the industrial market since 1984.              The company also once marketed the HT-750, a portable, low-power SSB/CW       transceiver for 40, 15, and 6 meters in a hand-held transceiver form factor.       At Dayton Hamventionr 2013, the company displayed a prototype of the XT-751,       an advanced model it hoped to develop, covering 40 through 6 meters and with       an internal antenna tuner. Among its latest products were solid-state HF       amplifiers, as well as amplifiers for 6 and 2 meters.              In a December 26 news release, Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) reacted with       "disappointment" and said it was "deeply saddened" to learn that Tokyo       Hy-Power had gone into bankruptcy.              "This action in Japan appears to be similar to a Chapter 7 action here within       the United States, as the process in this case appears to be the liquidation       of organizational assets in order to attempt to fund some portion of its debt       obligation(s)," the HRO release said. "This appears to indicate that a court       has deemed the organization unable to be effectively reorganized under Japan's       Civil Reconstruction Code."              HRO said it was working with AVSL, the current US service provider for Tokyo       Hy-Power products "to discuss the opportunity of continued maintenance at the       component level of the US-sold Tokyo Hy-Power line of amplifiers." Read more.              Ham Radio Business: CQ to Realign Publications, Launch Digital Supplement              CQ Communications Inc has announced plans to realign its publications lineup       and to launch a new online supplement to its flagship magazine, CQ Amateur       Radio.              "The hobby radio market is changing," said CQ Communications President and       Publisher Dick Ross, K2MGA, "and we are changing what we do and how we do it       in order to continue providing leadership to all segments of the radio hobby."              Effective with the February 2014 issue of CQ, said Ross, content from the       magazine's three sister publications -- Popular Communications, CQ VHF and       WorldRadio Online -- will be incorporated into CQ's digital edition as a       supplement to be called CQ Plus. The print editions of Popular Communications       and CQ VHF will be phased out, and WorldRadio Online will no longer exist as a       separate online publication. Current Popular Communications, CQ VHF and       WorldRadio Online subscribers will be converted to CQ subscribers and receive       CQ Plus at no additional charge. Details will be posted on each magazine's       website.              CQ Communications says the change will offer hobby radio enthusiasts a single       source for articles from shortwave listening and scanner monitoring to       personal two-way services and Internet radio, as well as Amateur Radio.       Richard Fisher, KI6SN, currently editor of both Popular Communications and       WorldRadio Online, will be editor of CQ Plus.              Ham Radio Business: InnovAntennas Acquires Force 12              InnovAntennas has acquired the legendary Force 12 antenna company and product       line and has moved the Force 12 factory from Bridgeport, Texas, to Grand       Junction, Colorado, into a facility shared with InnovAntennas America.       InnovAntennas Ltd in England is now manufacturing Force 12 products for the       European market at its Canvey Island plant.              The Grand Junction facility is up and running, manufacturing and shipping       antennas. InnovAntennas says it plans to produce updated versions of classic       Force 12 antennas as well as all-new models. InnovAntennas Founder Justin       Johnson, G0KSC, was at the Colorado facility in late 2013 to assist in setting       up and laying out the factory, and the company was expected to be at full       production this month. -- Thanks to The ARRL Contest Update              DX: ARRL DXCC Desk Approves ZD9KX Operations              The ARRL DXCC Desk has approved the 2012 and 2013 operation of ZD9KX --       Tristan Da Cunha & Gough Islands for DX Century Club credit. If a request for       DXCC credit for this operation has been rejected in a prior application,       contact ARRL Awards Branch Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, to be placed on the list       for an update to your record. Please note the submission date and/or reference       number of your application in order to expedite the search for any rejected       contacts.              DXCC is Amateur Radio's premier award that hams can earn by confirming       on-the-air contacts with 100 DXCC "entities," most of which are countries in       the traditional sense. You can begin with the basic DXCC award and work your       way up to the DXCC Honor Roll. Learn more. -- ARRL Awards Branch Manager Bill       Moore, NC1L              Shortwave Listening: Voice of Russia to Continue Shortwave Broadcasting in 2014              To paraphrase Mark Twain, reports of the demise of the Voice of Russia (VOR)       may have been greatly exaggerated. Earlier this year the Voice of Russia --       the former Radio Moscow during the Soviet Era -- appeared poised to cease       shortwave broadcasts as of January 1, 2014. In the wake of a December decree       signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin that merged the Voice of Russia       with several other state-run news agencies, SWL Tom Witherspoon, K4SWL,       contacted VOR.              "We are glad to let you know that the Voice of Russia will stay on the air in       2014, however, considerable changes in our frequency schedule are expected,"       the broadcaster told Witherspoon and as he reports on his blog.              The posted VOR schedule, which runs through March, indicates 38 aggregate       hours of shortwave broadcasts to all parts of the world, most beamed at the       Middle East and Asia. Shortwave broadcasts to Europe, Latin America, Oceania,       and Africa account for just 15 aggregate hours. VOR, which claims to be the       first radio station to broadcast internationally, also broadcasts online, via       satellite, on FM, and via three medium-wave transmitters. In 2003 VOR was       among the first major international radio broadcasters to launch daily       broadcasts to Europe in Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM).              Propagation: Solar Flux Record High Could Herald Better Conditions              The 10.7 centimeter solar flux index (SFI) jumped to a Cycle 24 record of 262       on January 4, suggesting that Cycle 24 has not yet begun drawing to a close       and may be approaching or at a "second peak." The previous peak for the       current cycle was 190 on September 24, 2011. As NASA's Marshall Space Flight       Center (MSFC) explains, the flux of the sun's radio emissions at 10.7       centimeter (2.8 GHz) is another indicator of solar activity levels, since it       tends to follow changes in the solar ultraviolet that influence Earth's upper       atmosphere and ionosphere.              "Many models of the upper atmosphere use the 10.7 centimeter flux (F10.7) as       input to determine atmospheric densities and satellite drag," NASA/MSFC noted,       adding that SFI "has been shown to follow the sunspot number quite closely."       The January 6 sunspot count was 225. The Cycle 24 sunspot count peaked at 282       on November 17, 2013, according to WM7D.net.              Canada's Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory (DRAO) indicated an       "official" flux of 262 at 2000 UTC on Saturday, January 3. The official figure       for Sunday, January 5, was 217.5. ARRL solar observer Tad Cook, K7RA, who       reports 10.7 centimeter flux numbers in his weekly "Solar Update" bulletins,       suggests that they are not as valuable as sunspot numbers in predicting radio       propagation. The solar flux was over the January 4-5 weekend was far higher       what was anticipated, judging by predictions Cook reported in his January 3       "Solar Update" for this past weekend and the week ahead. NASA/MFSC indicates a       95 percent predicted flux for the month of January at 146.5, continuing at       about the same level through the first half of the year.              The Daily DX said the SFI was expected to remain above 200 for this week. As       Ian Poole, G3YWX, explained solar flux in his article, "Understanding Solar       Indices" in the September 2002 edition of QST, "[H]igh values generally       indicate there is sufficient ionization to support long-distance communication       at higher-than-normal frequencies." He pointed out, though, that it can take a       few days of high values for conditions to show improvement. "Typically values       in excess of 200 will be measured during the peak of a sunspot cycle, with       high values of up to 300 being experienced for shorter periods," Poole wrote.       Read more.              ARRL Centennial: W100AW Hits the Airwaves!              At the stroke of midnight Eastern Time on January 1, Hiram Percy Maxim       Memorial station W1AW at ARRL Headquarters in Newington took to the air to       debut its special ARRL Centennial call sign, W100AW. ARRL Chief Executive       Officer Dave Sumner, K1ZZ and Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager Dave       Patton, NN1N, and ARRL Station Manager Joe Carcia, NJ1Q, were at the helm into       the wee hours of New Year's Day.              Daylight hours saw ARRL Chief Operating Officer Harold Kramer, WJ1B;       Membership and Volunteer Programs Assistant Manager Norm Fusaro, W3IZ; Public       Relations Manager Sean Kutzko; KX9X and QST Editor in Chief Steve Ford,       WB8IMY, taking their turns at the operating positions. By mid-afternoon,       several thousand contacts were in the log on SSB, CW and RTTY.              "This is just the beginning," said Kutzko. "Hams will hear W100AW throughout       2014 on every mode possible. When you hear us, spot us on the cluster!"              Not surprising, 20 meter SSB yielded the most contacts -- 1121 of the 3700       logged -- during the 19 hours of New Year's Day operation from W100AW. Ten       meter phone was in second place with 639 contacts.              W100AW contacts will be uploaded to Logbook of The World (LoTW). QSL cards       sent by mail will be acknowledged as well.              W1AW Portable Operations, ARRL Centennial QSO Party              The ARRL Centennial "W1AW WAS" operations are taking place throughout 2014       from each of the 50 states, relocating each Wednesday (UTC) to a new pair of       states (this week, South Carolina and Utah. Listen for W1AW/4 and W1AW/7).       During 2014 W1AW will be on the air from every state at least twice and from       most US territories, and it will be easy to work all states solely by       contacting W1AW portable operations.              In conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the ARRL, the ARRL Centennial QSO       Party also kicked off January 1 for a year-long operating event in which       participants can accumulate points and win awards. The event is open to all,       although only ARRL members and appointees, elected officials, HQ staff and       W1AW are worth ARRL Centennial QSO Party points. Working W1AW/x from each       state is worth 5 points per contact.              To earn the "Worked all States with W1AW Award," work W1AW operating portable       from all 50 states. (Working W1AW or W100AW in Connecticut does not count for       Connecticut, however. For award credit, participants must work W1AW/1 in       Connecticut.) A W1AW WAS certificate and plaque will be available (pricing not       yet available).              Some Statistics              As of today (January 9), more than 6700 stations have earned points in the       Centennial QSO Party by uploading qualifying QSOs to Logbook of The World       (LoTW). Operating from North Carolina and West Virginia during the first week       of the W1AW portable operations, W1AW/4 and W1AW/8 logged approximately 33,000       contacts.              "The second week is off to a roaring start from South Carolina and Utah,"       reported ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N.              ARRL Centennial: A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL              Editor's note: "A Century of Amateur Radio and the ARRL" will be a weekly       feature as the ARRL celebrates its Centennial in 2014.              In Amateur Radio, as in all fields, 100 years has brought about amazing       progress and changes. During 2014, we will give you a sense of the ARRL's and       Amateur Radio's history by looking through the issues of QST from its humble       beginning to the present. We'll examine the important topics and events of       interest to amateurs, such as technology, operating tips and events, ARRL's       doings, and FCC actions. Because of the limited space available here, the       comments will be brief, but they will provide citations to original QST       articles for your further reading.              The next century will bring about changes that will be mind-boggling to us,       because technology advances at an exponential rate. Being aware of the past       100 years of ham-related events is valuable to us for historical reasons, and       it also makes us consider what might lie ahead. Next time: A look at the       earliest years of Amateur Radio and the ARRL. -- Al Brogdon, W1AB              Milestones: Founder and President Emeritus of 4U1UN, Max de Henseler, HB9RS, SK              Max de Henseler, HB9RS, the founder and president emeritus of 4U1UN at United       Nations headquarters in New York, died December 30. He was 80. A ham since       1955, de Henseler had been a short-wave listener since the late 1940s. In       1976, while in New York as the UN's chief cartographer, de Henseler       reactivated the United Nations Radio Club station K2UN at its new home in       midtown Manhattan. As Jack Troster, W6ISQ, explained in the July 1989 issue of       QST, "Through his efforts, the Secretary General approved the operation of a       specifically designated UN amateur station using the call 4U1UN in early 1978."              De Henseler introduced the new call sign on February 4, 1978, during the first       weekend of the then two-weekend ARRL International DX phone contest,       surprising many contesters. 4U1UN was approved for DXCC credit, due to the       efforts of "Mister UN Radio."              The 4U1UN United Nations Headquarters Station was dismantled in 2010 due to       the extensive renovation project on the Secretariat Building. -- Thanks to The       Daily DX              Milestones: QST Author, CW Key Maker Jerry Pittenger, K8RA, SK              QST author and CW key crafter Jerry Pittenger, K8RA, of Powell, Ohio, died       January 2 of pancreatic cancer. He was 66. Licensed in 1960, Pittenger was a       retired systems engineer. He earned a bachelor's degree at Miami University       and an MS in systems engineering from Ohio State.              Pittenger enjoyed building his own equipment, and some of his amplifier       projects were featured in QST, The ARRL Handbook, and RF Amplifier Classics.       More recently he manufactured a line of solid-brass iambic and single-lever CW       keys sold worldwide, until illness forced him to quit.              "Making my CW keys fills much of my time, but it is a labor of love,"       Pittenger said in his online profile. "I can get lost in time machining metals       and making things in the shop for the radio." His friends Mike Freeman, NT8O,       and Fred Freeman, N8BX, have taken over the production of the K8RA line.              Milestones: Austin Amateur Radio Supply Owner Johnny Paul, WA5BGO, SK              The owner of Austin Amateur Radio Supply, John E. "Johnny" Paul, WA5BGO, of       Austin, Texas, died December 10. He was 74. Paul was the proprietor of Austin       Amateur Radio for 45 years. First licensed in 1960, Paul was a past president       of the Austin Amateur Radio Club and was an avid photographer of nature and       landscapes. Services were December 16.              Solar Update              Tad Cook, K7RA, in Seattle, reports: A big storm is brewing! At 2324 UTC on       January 8 the Australian Space Forecast Centre issued this geomagnetic       disturbance warning: "Increased geomagnetic activity expected due to coronal7       mass ejection from 09-10 January 2014."              NOAA forecasters estimate a 90 percent chance of geomagnetic storms on January       9. The predicted planetary A indices for January 9 through January 13 are 73,       41, 15, 8 and 5. While an emblematic number for hams, 73 is a huge value for       the planetary A index. One has to look way, way back to find a value like       this. The planetary A index was 67 on both March 9, 2012, and September 26,       2011, but nothing exceeds what is predicted for January 9 except the planetary       A index of 104 on December 15, 2006, and 105 on September 11, 2005.              This has been an exciting week for sun watchers. The daily sunspot number       reached 245 on January 6, and solar flux was 237.1 on January 8. The GOES-15       X-ray background flux has also been high, and that may be more significant for       enhanced HF propagation than a high solar flux. NOAA's Space Weather       Prediction Center maintains an archive of X-ray flux, solar flux, and sunspot       numbers (check the links marked "DSD.txt." The links marked "DGD.txt" will       give you daily geomagnetic indicators).              Over the past week, average daily sunspot numbers rose more than 80 points to       188.1, and average daily solar flux was up by more than 62 points to 201.6.       Predicted solar flux for the near term is 195 on January 9-12, 190 on January       13, 160 on January 14, 155 on January 15-16, and 150 on January 17-19. It then       rises to a peak of 190 on January 29 through February 3.              Predicted planetary A index values are 73, 41, 15 and 8 on January 9-12, 5 on       January 13-22, 10 on January 23, 8 on January 24, 5 on January 25-27, then 10,       18 and 8 on January 28-30, then 5 again until February 6.              For the Friday, January 10, "Solar Update," look for an update on the latest       disturbance and forecast, as well as reports from readers. I welcome your       reports and observations via e-mail.              Getting It Right!              In The ARRL Letter, December 19, 2013, we inadvertently omitted 20 meters from       the list of bands available for the ARRL Centennial QSO Party.              Just Ahead in Radiosport        * Jan 10 -- QRP Fox Hunt        * Jan 10 -- NCCC Sprint Ladder        * Jan 11 -- Old New Year Contest        * Jan 11-12 -- UK DX BPSK63 Contest        * Jan 11-12 -- MI QRP January CW Contest        * Jan 11-12 -- SKCC Weekend Sprintathon        * Jan 11-12 -- North American QSO Party, CW        * Jan 12 -- NRAU-Baltic Contest, CW (0630-0830 UTC)        * Jan 12 -- NRAU-Baltic Contest, SSB (0900-1100 UTC)        * Jan 12 -- DARC 10-Meter Contest        * Jan 12 -- Midwinter Contest        * Jan 15 -- QRP Fox Hunt              Upcoming ARRL Section, State and Division Conventions and Events        * January 17-18 -- North Texas Section Convention, Fort Worth, Texas        * January 19-26 -- Quartzfest Convention, Quartzsite, Arizona        * January 24-25 -- Mississippi State Convention, Jackson, Mississippi        * January 25 -- Georgia ARES Convention, Forsyth, Georgia        * January 25-26 -- Puerto Rico State Convention, Hatillo, Puerto Rico        * January 31-February 1 -- Southern Florida S    |
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